And when the men of Ai looked behind them, they saw, and, behold, the smoke of the city ascended up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that way: and the people that fled to the wilderness turned back upon the pursuers.
When the men of Ai looked back, they saw smoke from their city rising up to the sky, and they had no way to escape in any direction. The Israelite soldiers who had pretended to flee into the wilderness now turned around and attacked their pursuers.
The writer is describing the moment when Ai's army realized they were trapped - their city was burning behind them and the Israelites they thought were fleeing had turned to fight them.
📚 Historical Context
In the book of Joshua, the Israelites were conquering the Promised Land under God's guidance after their exodus from Egypt. After an earlier defeat at Ai due to sin in their camp, Joshua devised a strategy based on God's instructions, involving a feigned retreat to lure the enemy out while another group ambushed and burned the city. This verse captures the moment when the men of Ai realized their city was in flames and they were surrounded, with no way to escape.
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